Starduster

(aka Edward "Starduster" Skylar, Skyduster)

File Name: Edward J. Skylar of Burlingame, California.
Grade: Army E-6 (1987); E-5 (2007-2008)
SNs: RA 989-31-5248; 989-31-EJ48
Notes: Burlingame is in the San Francisco area, between San Mateo and the San Francisco International Airport. Dojo, Knockdown, and Psyche-Out are from San Francisco itself.

Starduster was a circus trapeze artist when he enlisted in the Airborne Rangers. He quickly found that his acrobatic skills and boundless energy would come in handy when swinging from a 150-foot rope. But now he did his famous routines suspended from a Huey Assault Copter—with the audience throwing more than just popcorn and peanuts. It was Duke, however, who recognized how well Starduster's death-defying act would work with the JUMP Jetpack. The combination has been a crowd-pleaser ever since.
"We could be pinned down by artillery, rockets, and flanking small-arms fire—every inch of sky lit by tracer, the lead so thick in the air even the mosquitoes would take cover—but Starduster would be out there in a flash to spot the bad guys. No questions. Straight up into the flack with his characteristic 'show must go on' attitude, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he calls in enemy positions for our own artillery to hit. The guy never fails to keep the act interesting."

Variations: Variant A (Recondo torso and waist) was available from 1987 to 1988, variant B (Duke torso, Recondo waist) from 1988 to 1989, and variant C (Duke torso, Iceberg waist) from 1989 to 1990. Bagged examples of variant B are rare but surface from time to time.

Toy Notes: Originally available by mail in 1987 through an offer in G.I. Joe Action Stars cereal, which featured Sunbow animation in its commercial.

Re-releases: Also available by mail with the Pocket Patrol Pack through several offers between 1987 and 1990, most notably the Maneuvers Manual included with carded figures. Bagged without the jet pack for a 1993 convention.

Since World War II, the perfection of the jet pack has been the most elusive goal in the field of personnel transportation. Models known to the public are impractical due to the tremendous heat produced, inefficient fuel usage, limited altitude, and short flight duration. But the J.U.M.P. (Jet Unit Mobile Propulsion) jet pack used by the G.I. JOE team is capable of several hours' flight, unmatched maneuverability, and staggering velocity. To this day the specifics of the JUMP's engineering and fuel source remain locked away at G.I. JOE Headquarters, despite many attempts by COBRA forces to steal the technology and capture its aerialist, STARDUSTER.
STARDUSTER is a former circus acrobat and Airborne Ranger. Though he is oftn found on the G.I. JOE test grounds, looking for advancements in jet pack, rocket belt, or helicopter backpack technologies, he never misses an opportunity to take on field missions. When he was assigned to the cold weather training exercise in the Colorado Rockies, he jumped at the chance to test the latest version of the JUMP in extreme weather conditions. As an added attraction, he is looking forward to sharing the spotlight with his former protégé GRAND SLAM—and seeing if he can still outfly him!
"Traveling 150 miles per hour with an engine strapped to your back is the easy art. Stopping in midair, splashing COBRA targets with a laser marker, and getting away before the incoming artillery hits is the REAL showstopper!"

Toy Notes: Bagged together with Grand Slam (07) at the Tanks for the Memories-themed 2007 Convention. Both figures are considered very high-demand items (over $100 each).

SKYDUSTER was a circus trapeze artist when he enlisted in the Airborne Rangers. He found that his acrobatic skills and boundless energy came in handy when swinging from an assault helicopter by a 150-foot rope. Except, of course, this "audience" was throwing more than just popcorn and peanuts at him. It was DUKE, however, who recognized how well this death-defying act would work with the G.I. JOE team's jet backpack. The combination has been a crowd-pleaser ever since.
"We could be pinned down by artillery, rockets, and flanking small-arms fire, every inch of sky lit by tracer, the lead so thick in the air even the mosquitoes would take cover. But SKYDUSTER would still be out there in a flash to spot the bad guys. No questions. Straight up into the flack with his 'show must go on' attitude, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he calls in enemy positions for our artillery to hit. The guy never fails to keep the act interesting."